RINGTOWN, Pa. — What typically is a picture-perfect view of the mountains in Ringtown is clouded with smoke, making it difficult for customers and workers at B&R Farms to harvest strawberries.
“Today it was about ten o'clock when all of a sudden, we noticed it was thick, and it was getting hard to breathe,” said Robin Hetherington, co-owner of B&R Farms.
Workers tell us they started to feel sick after working all morning.
“Today is when it really got bad, and yeah, it's not terrible, but I sort of got a headache and a little bit of a stomach ache,” explained Bradley Weaver, a worker at B&R Farms.
The smoke isn't just affecting the workers, but the strawberry crop B&R Farm has been preparing all year long.
“It's really windy, and the smoke is covering the sun, so that makes it really cold,” Weaver said.
“I'm concerned that it's going to hold it back a little bit. That we're not getting the ripening factor,” added Hetherington.
B&R Farms opened earlier this week to the public for the first week of strawberry season. And while customers are still picking strawberries in the field, they say because of the smoke, they can't stay outside for very long.
”They're only here for about 15, 20 minutes. So, they're in and out, and they've got their faces set for fresh strawberries, so they'll come in and brave the weather. But they'll skin out of here before it gets too bad,” said Hetherington.
To combat the smoky conditions, Hetherington says she's giving everyone more breaks and letting workers take off early. But no matter what the air quality rating is, farmers in Schuylkill County will still have to work.
“We're self-employed, and the work goes on. Whether it's raining, whether it's snowing, or whether it's smoke from Canadian wildfires, we have to keep going,” said Hetherington.
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